Copper Hosts Special Olympics Colorado Winter Games for 23rd Year in a Row

March 3, 2011

COPPER HOSTS SPECIAL OLYMPICS COLORADO
WINTER GAMES FOR 23rd YEAR IN A ROW

Copper Mountain, CO…March 3, 2011…Copper Mountain is
proud to host the Special Olympics Colorado Winter Games for the 23rd
year in a row. Approximately 550 athletes will compete Saturday and Sunday, March
5-6 in alpine skiing, snowboarding, speed skating, cross-country skiing,
snowshoeing and figure skating. In addition, Copper is proud to be the official
winter training site for all Colorado-based Special Olympics athletes and the “Official Home of the Special Olympics
Colorado Winter Games.” Admission to the games is open to the public and
freeof
charge.

9:30 a.m. – 3 p.m. Alpine
Skiing, Cross Country Skiing, Snowboarding and Snowshoeing Competitions, with event
specific venues (events run consecutively, beginning at 10 a.m. on each of the
three courses)

Each year, hundreds of Special Olympics Colorado
athletes from across the state come together to showcase their athletic skills
and celebrate the spirit of the Special Olympics. The Winter Games allow
Special Olympics Colorado to bring public attention to the talents and
capabilities of people with intellectual disabilities, helping to change
attitudes and break down barriers that have excluded them from the mainstream
of the community. Their stories are inspirational, and the self-confidence and
self-esteem they gain from training and competing in Special Olympics are
priceless.

Individual
and group volunteers are needed to assist with event operations, and volunteers
truly are the very backbone of the Special Olympics Colorado program! For more
information on volunteering or if you have questions, visit www.specialolympicsco.org/get/volunteer.
Or you can call
Lisa Dugger, Volunteer and Family Coordinator, at 720.359.3103, or email her at
ld@specialolympicsco.org.

Contact/Media/Photo/Interview Opportunities at Copper

This event offers a wide variety of opportunities to
the media. Special Olympics Colorado athletes, volunteers and coaches will be
available for interviews and photographs. For interviews or media information
during Winter Games competition, please contact Kathy Muffenbier at 303.720.0203,
or km@specialolympicsco.org. Media
packets will be available at the Communications Center in Ptarmigan A/B (lower
level of the Conference Center). A
complete schedule is available at www.specialolympicsco.org.

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About Special Olympics
Colorado

Since 1969, Special
Olympics Colorado (SOCO) has been strengthening families, athletes and the very
soul of our community through sports training and athletic competitions.
Special Olympics Colorado provides year-round training and sponsors over 80
competitions at the area and state level in 20 sports for more than 10,000
athletes statewide. With a base of more than 6,500 volunteers, thousands of
hours are donated allowing SOCO to support athletes of all ages and abilities,
allowing them to build athletic, learning and social skills. Participation with
other athletes, non-disabled peers (Unified Sports® partners), coaches,
sponsors and volunteers builds confidence and creates opportunities to
participate as productive and respected members of society by increasing public
awareness of the athletes’ capabilities. There is no cost to participate in
Special Olympics. For more information, visit www.specialolympicsco.org.

About Copper

Copper Mountain knows there
are skiers and riders out there who have never felt the thrill of waking up and
hearing on the radio that school was cancelled. There are people who have never
spent a whole day in the snow doing anything their heart desired. No joke.
These people, and those who understand snow day bliss, are the reason we do
what we do. So come to Copper to take a day, or two or seven and experience the
mountain. Welcome everybody, to the home of the snow day. For up-to-date
weather, photos and more visit www.coppercolorado.com.

This season make sure to
check out Woodward at Copper, the
premier trick stomping playground that features The Barn, a 19,400 sq. ft.
indoor facility complete with indoor artificial snow jumps and jib lines, foam
pits, skate features and Olympic fly-bed trampolines, offering indoor and
outdoor training programs where you can learn tricks in the Barn and take them
on snow the same day. For a virtual tour of The Barn, program details, videos,
pictures and much more, visit www.WoodwardatCopper.com.